The life that chooses you
October journaling prompts
Welcome to Gentle Musings, a publication about reconnecting with yourself, experiencing life as a creative practice, and living out loud. Gentle Musings is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support this work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Below, reflective writing prompts for you.
First, a poem shared by Francis Weller in The Wild Edge of Sorrow. It’s called Prescription For The Disillusioned by the poet Rebecca del Rio.
Come new to this day.
Remove the rigid
overcoat of experience,
the notion of knowing,
the beliefs that cloud
your vision.
Leave behind the stories
of your life. Spit out the
sour taste of unmet expectation.
Let the stale scent of what-ifs
waft back into the swamp
of your useless fears.
Arrive curious, without the armor
of certainty, the plans and planned
results of the life you’ve imagined.
Live the life that chooses you, new
every breath, every blink of
your astonished eyes.
The writing prompts I offer each month reflect the patterns I feel in collective circumstances, conversations with friends, family, clients, and within my own life. This month’s prompts are offered within the context of what was, for so many, an intense month. At times, the devastation and helplessness might have felt too much too bear. For some, intensity this month meant personal or professional developments that brought swift and necessary change. Intensity might not have looked like something big happening or not happening—you too might have felt the intensity of everyday weariness.
Below you’ll find some writing prompts that I hope meet you in whatever life feels like for you at this time.
They’re framed as an exploration into what life is “asking” of you… If this feels abstract or confusing, here’s what I mean: When you look around at what is the case—external events, internal experiences, patterns you notice—is there anything that seems to be calling on your attention or action?
It can be helpful to think about this in terms of the different domains of your life (home, work, friendships, etc.). Or stick to whatever areas feels most relevant to you right now.
As it is with all journal prompts I offer: the questions are meant to build a disposition of curiosity. In other words, we ask to ask and to see what opens in the act of asking. If nothing comes up at first, try keeping your hand moving for two minutes. Or make a mind map to associate thoughts as they emerge. Or just take the prompt into your mind when you go about the daily things of life, like putting away dishes.
These prompts were offered in today’s Journaling Circle, which happens on the last Sunday of every month through 2024. The last two Journaling Circles are on Sunday, November 24th and Sunday, December 29th, both at 11:00am - 11:30am EST on Zoom.
The Journaling Circle and monthly reflective writing prompts are available to paid subscribers to the Gentle Musings. If you would like to join for the Journaling Circle or write to the prompts on your own time, please upgrade your subscription below. Thank you so much for supporting this work.
If you write to these, let me know how it goes <3 I love hearing what ideas and insights and actions the journal prompts help to spark.
If you have a friend or two who could use the support that what they care about creating in their life matters, please pass this along so that they can enjoy the prompts too.
Now onto the prompts…